Naming Boundaries
by Electric Light Shadow Boxer
Summary: The eleventh in The Unnamed Series. Picks up after The Beantown Bailout Job. Nate is sober and the crew is back together, but adjustments must be made. How is all of this going to affect Nate and Eliot’s lives?


TITLE: Naming Boundaries

AUTHOR: Electric Light Shadowboxer

RATING: NC17

CATEGORY: Slash

PAIRING: Nate/Eliot

DISCLAIMER: I do not own, nor am I associated with Leverage. No copyright infringement intended. This little piece of insanity was written for fun, not profit. I make no money. Literally.

SUMMARY: The eleventh in The Unnamed Series. Picks up after The Beantown Bailout Job. Nate is sober and the crew is back together, but adjustments must be made. How is all of this going to affect Nate and Eliot's lives?

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The first story in season 2! Takes place after The Beantown Bailout Job and contains slight spoilers. This story depicts grown adult males in a consensual, loving, relationship. If that bothers you, don't read.

He coughed as the dust stirred up by the falling section of wall clogged up his nose and burned his lungs. Just like that, everything had changed, and their home was no longer exclusively theirs. Yeah, he'd agreed to coming back into the game, he had to admit he missed the thrill, but he wasn't ready for his life to be completely turned upside down again. He needed some control here.

Nathan walked away, still feeling the weight of Hardison's and Parker's arms heavy across his shoulders. He plopped down on the couch, resigned to having their apartment taken over by the crew. There was little he could do, besides move, now that Hardison owned his building.

He watched as Hardison went back to hooking up the monitors and Parker walked out, ostensibly to bring something else back in. He kept an eye on Eliot as he grabbed the debris from the hole he'd cut and hefted it up, heading toward the door. At least Eliot seemed happy. He knew the other man would never admit it, but he'd missed everyone, had missed working the con with them. The smug bastard had been right too. He wasn't cut out to work insurance anymore. In fact, he wasn't sure where he fit in anymore.

He rubbed at his eyes and tried to quell the rising tension within. Nate was starting to wish he'd just given in to the urge and belted back the whiskey downstairs. He should've known that Eliot would set something like this up. He had no doubt whatsoever who the main instigator had been. He turned his head and watched as Eliot walked back into the apartment, a little less dusty, as if he'd taken a moment to shake some of the sawdust off.

He'd enjoyed the job, for the most part, but Nathan was still very tempted to make Eliot sleep on the couch for the next couple of nights.

Unbidden, his mind flashed to the memory of the 'bullet holes' appearing in Eliot's shirt back at the warehouse and the surprise on his face as he'd looked down at his seemingly bleeding chest. It'd looked so real, the way the third bullet had knocked him out of his chair onto the floor. The only noise in those first few seconds had been the echo of the gun against the metal warehouse walls. It had felt so real; the way Nathan's heart had stopped beating, just for a moment. Everything had just stopped. Life had stopped.

Nathan felt his stomach knot up and the tension crawl across his shoulders and up his neck. No. Eliot wouldn't be sleeping on the couch anytime soon. In fact, Eliot would be lucky if Nathan let him out of his sight for the next couple of weeks. No scratch that, he was going to be keeping tabs on him for months.

Eliot had been watching as Nathan sat on the couch, his mind lost in unknown waters. The turmoil of the past year had honed his Nate radar to a sharp point. Right now it was telling him that Nate was heading into a dark place. He started paying closer attention when he saw the blood drain from Nathan's face. Eliot scowled and stopped what he was doing, full attention on his lover. Nate's hand went to his stomach in a well known sign that clearly telegraphed that his stomach was hurting. "Nate?"

Nathan looked up at Eliot, at the concern clearly painted on his lover's face. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing would come out. He was aware of Hardison's prattle dying off and the silence that descended heavy into the room. He licked his lips and stood, heading for the coffee maker. Right now he had a craving so strong that he wasn't sure he could trick his mind with coffee this time.

Eliot kept one eye on Parker as she came back into the apartment with some cable for Hardison, but most of his attention was on Nate as he got off of the couch and headed straight for the cabinet in the kitchen.

In the past, that cabinet would've been filled with Jameson. Now, it was full of coffee, and Eliot could still gauge Nate's moods by how he approached that cabinet. Was he relaxed, simply needing to up his dose of caffeine a little? Or was he approaching the cabinet like a drowning man after a life preserver? The substance had changed, the behavior had not.

Nathan's movements were jerky, fast, and uneven. Eliot could feel the tension coming off him from across the room. Right now it looked like Nathan was drowning. Eliot propped the broom against the wall and watched as Nate braced his hands on the cabinet, head down, and watched the coffee pot for the first signs of Colombia's finest.

Eliot was aware of Hardison and Parker coming up beside him, flanking him, to watch the man in the kitchen.

"Hey, man, is Nate alright?"

Eliot looked over at Hardison and slightly shook his head. No, when Nate was like this he definitely was not alright. He patted his clothes off a little and shot a warning glance at the other two before approaching the kitchen area.

"Nate, what's going on?" He stopped just behind him, voice low enough that it would afford them a small modicum of privacy from the other two in the living room.

Nate straightened up, but didn't turn around to look at Eliot. If he kept his back to everyone he could pretend they couldn't see him. He felt too exposed and raw for even the touch of eyes on him. "What? Yeah, just making some coffee. Been a," He cleared his throat. "a long day."

The mood swings were common place, even now. It was part no longer being on the alcohol and maybe even part of why he drank in the first place. Eliot reached forward and squeezed Nate's shoulder. "What can I do?"

Nathan was quiet, still refusing to look at him. In the background, Eliot could hear Hardison's and Parker's quiet voices as they talked. He squeezed Nathan's shoulder again, digging his thumb in where he could feel the tightness in Nathan's muscles. "I'm going to get rid of them and then I'll be right back. Hang tight, Nate."

Nathan merely nodded his head and listened as Eliot convinced both Parker and Hardison to leave. Their voices, lowered in quiet concern, reached him in the kitchen and he gripped the cabinet until his knuckles turned white. He wanted a drink.

The door closed and the apartment was quiet once more. He felt a little of the tension drain out of his shoulders as he inhaled the sharp tang of coffee brewing into the carafe. He wanted a drink, but maybe he could make do with the coffee.

"Okay, all clear. I'm sorry. We shouldn't have sprung that on you like that." Eliot slid an arm around Nate's waist and tugged him into his side.

Nathan shook his head, but the rest of the tension wouldn't leave him. "Don't they make coffee machines that brew faster than this?"

Eliot watched as Nathan dug his fingertips into the surface of the cabinet, like he was trying for purchase to keep him from falling. "Craving's bad, huh?"

Nathan dropped his chin to his chest and let out a breath before nodding and grabbing for a cup out of the cabinet, banging his knuckles on the door in his haste.

Eliot gently took the cup from him and gave him a squeeze with the arm around his waist. "Go sit down. I'll fix it and bring it to ya."

Nathan leaned into Eliot a moment before sighing and going back into the living room. Once on the couch, he slumped down into the cushions and threw an arm over his eyes, trying to block out the sight of his mangled wall and the mess in the living room. He felt, rather than heard, Eliot pass in front of him and then the couch cushions dip as he sat down beside him. The warmth of Eliot's thigh pressed up against his own and Nathan allowed himself to rest into the solidness of the man next to him.

"Here, just like you like it, black as midnight and strong enough to just about kick my ass."

Nathan took the cup and brought it to his mouth, blowing on the liquid and inhaling the steam. He closed his eyes as the scent memory of the whiskey overwhelmed that of the coffee for a moment. He tensed, knuckles curling into the pants at his knee.

Eliot pried Nathan's hand lose from his knee and twined it in his, trying to give him something more solid to anchor on. He waited until Nate took a sip, his eyes closing and muscles losing some of their tension. The behavior was troubling; the way he acted like it was more than coffee. But as long as he wasn't Irishing it up Eliot wouldn't complain. "What was it that did it? Being back with everyone, or having your space intruded on?"

Nathan shrugged and took another sip. "Both. I don't know." He sighed and tried to ignore the hollow ache in the pit of his stomach. Would one drink really be the end of his control? Surely he could have one drink and then stop. He had enough will power for that.

Eliot nodded his head, watched as Nathan battled with himself. Nate didn't have to say anything. Eliot knew him well enough now that he could practically hear the conversation going on in his head. He needed to steer Nate as far away from that as possible if he could. "You regretting getting back into the game?"

Nathan sighed, pulling himself back to the present, and shook his head. "No."

Eliot watched as a brief moment of unease and doubt flickered across his face. "Uh huh, 'cause you're not a thief, right?"

"Christ! Are we back on that again?" He set the cup down on the coffee table and turned a little so he could look at the other man. "Is this going to be a thing?"

Eliot held his hands up, deciding that pushing Nate on that issue at this moment wasn't worth the problems it would cause. "No, Sir. Not a thing."

Eliot watched him a moment from the corner of his eye, trying to judge just how much Eliot was laughing at him. "Speaking of that little conversation downstairs, you laid it on a little thick back there with the not drinking thing didn't you?"

Eliot pushed the hair out of his face and shook his head, well aware that Nathan was ducking the issue. "I'm proud of you. What you did was hard. I wanted the others to know."

He watched as Nathan's face clouded back over and he pulled him against him, repositioning himself on the couch so Nathan was leaning back against his chest. He pulled him in tight and dropped a kiss on his head. "Come on, Nate. Talk to me. What's happening in that head of yours?"

Nathan leaned into Eliot's warmth, feeling safe and so very grateful that he was there. What they did was dangerous and he'd seen Eliot hurt before. But seeing him get shot, thinking he was dead, just for that one moment? That had been terrifying. It had been everything he'd come to depend on shattering and breaking right before his very eyes.

Eliot could feel the tension ratchet up a notch in Nathan and he wrapped his arms about his lover just a little tighter. "Nate?"

Nathan tried to remember to breathe, and closed his eyes a moment, just trying to push it all far away so he wouldn't have to deal with it. He could practically feel the worry radiating off of Eliot behind him. He felt his stomach flip. "It's nothing. Just this last job. It got to me a little."

"Yeah?" Eliot waited, hoping that maybe Nathan would go on, but the silence stretched on between them. Nate was doing much better, but children still got to him. Could that be what this was all about? Could dealing with Zoe maybe have kicked up some memories of Sam? "You were really good with that kid. She seemed to develop a real bond with you, giving you her necklace and all."

Nathan shrugged, settling a little firmer into Eliot's chest, trying to wrap his mind around the fact that Eliot was safe and warm and right here. He closed his eyes and breathed in his scent, concentrated on feeling Eliot's chest move as he breathed, the deep rumble as he talked. Eliot was _here_. Not on the concrete warehouse floor, cold and still with a bullet through his heart.

"Nate?"

"What?"

Eliot shifted so he could look down into Nathan's face, his own dark with worry. "I said you hit it off with that girl. You're good with kids."

Nate glanced up, confused a moment, and then his eyes cleared as he caught the train of conversation. "Uh, yeah. She was sweet kid."

They were quiet a few more minutes as Nate grabbed his cup and sipped at his coffee.

"You ever think about having any more?"

Nathan scowled and sat up, turning his back into the other side of the couch. "What?" He blinked a moment, as if he fully needed to process what the other man had just said. "No. I . . . I just wouldn't . . . why? Is that something you want? Are you serious?" He could feel the panic reaching up to his throat from his chest, trying to choke him. He couldn't do that again. It would make him too vulnerable.

He licked his bottom lip and scowled, trying to turn the heat of Eliot's focus off of him. If he could just turn it around, make Eliot uncomfortable so he'd drop it. "Are you actually asking me if we should have kids together?"

Eliot scowled and sat forward. "What? No." He glared and stood off the couch. He could feel an unpleasant smirk twist his lips and he shook his head, knowing full well that Nathan was trying to get him to back off. "I just noticed that you had a real knack for interacting with them."

Nathan watched as Eliot grabbed the broom and started to sweep up more of the sawdust. He drained the dregs of his cup and stood, heading for the coffee maker. "No. You wanted to know if something about the kid had upset me."

Eliot propped his elbow on the broom handle and watched as Nathan poured himself another cup. When it became evident that Nathan wasn't going to come back he lay the broom back down and followed into the kitchen. "Yeah, I wanted to know what was bothering you." There was silence. "Nate . . ." It came out a growl, his patience fraying.

Nathan turned around, back against the cabinet and looked at Eliot on the other side of the island. Eliot looked tired and upset. Nathan felt a pang of regret at being such a damn mess. "Let me finish this cup of coffee. Go, take a shower, and I'll meet you up there. We'll talk about it then."

Eliot opened his mouth to argue but Nate held up his hand. "Please, Eliot. I'll tell you. Just, let me have a little time."

Eliot stared at him a moment, searching his face. Finally he nodded and started up the stairs.

Nathan watched him bound up the stairway and closed his eyes, taking another sip of his coffee.

* * *

The one thing Eliot didn't like about this place was the bathroom. The shower was too small, hardly accommodating for two adult males. The shower in his old place had been huge. Here, it was just your standard shower stall. Right now he wanted Nathan in there with him. Just having him in his sights when he was so obviously upset would be calming. He showered fast, working the lather over his body and soaping his hair in record time.

Once he was out of the shower he could hear Nathan moving about in the bedroom and he took his time, toweling his hair and brushing his teeth. Through the door he could hear Nathan open the dresser, could picture him undressing. Eliot heard the covers being thrown back and the pop from a mattress spring as Nathan climbed onto the bed. The familiar nighttime ritual was comforting, Nathan's movements as familiar as his own.

He knew that bringing the team back together was the right thing to do. He knew that without that anchor, that outlet, Nathan was going to slip back into his old patterns. Nate needed not only the distraction, but the support. The . . . he was almost loathed to think it, but the family dynamic that the team represented. So whatever it was that was bothering his lover they'd work it out, and in the long run, things would be better.

Eliot hung his towel up to dry and padded out into the bedroom. He dug around in the dresser for a clean pair of boxers.

"Don't."

Eliot turned and looked at Nathan already in the bed, sheet and blanket pooled down around his hips. He cocked an eyebrow, but shut the drawer and came around the bed, sliding between the sheets. He scooted in until his thigh brushed Nathan's and wrapped his arm around his shoulders. "I ain't going to let you distract me with sex you know."

Nathan turned and buried himself in Eliot's hair, smelling the clean scent of soap and shampoo. He was such a solid, real, warmth next to him that it should've been enough to chase the pictures in his head away, but it wasn't.

He scooted further down in the bed and wrapped his arms around Eliot, nose burying into his neck. The muscles in his face were getting tighter and he knew that if he didn't get it under control he was going to end up crying like a damn girl. But he'd just gotten his life back and it was so new he didn't know whether to trust it. He kept expecting to wake up any minute and find it all gone. To find Eliot gone. If it wasn't for Eliot . . . he'd probably be dead. He certainly wouldn't be sober. The man next to him was becoming everything and it scared the shit out of him. He'd lost it all once, he couldn't lose it again.

When Eliot had asked him if he'd wanted to have another kid he'd felt fear curl down his backbone. No. He didn't want anyone else getting behind his shields. He didn't know how Eliot had done it, but the damage was done. No one else could be allowed to worm their way into his life.

Eliot just held on as he felt Nathan tremble in his arms. Whatever was bothering him was hitting deep. So he just held on, laying a small kiss on the top of Nathan's dark curls and waited him out.

Nathan took a deep breath and got himself under control. When he was sure that his breathing was steady he loosened his hold on Eliot and ran a hand over his chest. His fingers brushed Eliot's nipples, causing them to harden, before he settled his hand over his heart. He could feel the beat beneath his ribcage, steady and solid, just like the man to whom it belonged.

"When I saw, thought I saw, you get shot . . ." He stopped and took a deep breath. "I thought you were dead. My whole world was gone in the fraction of a second and I couldn't do anything to save it. To save you."

Eliot took a deep breath. He hadn't really thought about how that would catch Nathan unaware, how that would affect him. He closed his eyes, feeling foolish. He knew that Nathan was somewhat conflicted about having Eliot so close to him, to naming what they were too each other. It was a huge chink in his armor, at least Nate thought so. It left him feeling fragile and any threat to the tenuous peace they'd found would certainly be enough to spook him. "Shit, Nate, I'm sorry." He squeezed him a little tighter.

They were quiet, each lost in their own thoughts. "You know, Nate, that's not the first time I've been shot at. It won't be the last either. I get beat up on a daily basis. It's my job."

Nathan turned away from Eliot, pushing himself up and trying to regain some of his dignity. "I didn't say it was rational, Eliot. I know what you do. I know that it's dangerous." His face darkened as he frowned. "And I know it's entirely possible that someday you will be killed. Can we drop it? Just forget I said anything."

Eliot let his head fall back as he stared at the ceiling and tried not to get angry at Nate. At the damn walls that he was always trying put between them. Yeah, they may have declared their love for each other, but it didn't mean the relationship was easy. If anything, sometimes, it was harder. "Nate . . ."

"No. You don't have to say anything. I understand. I do. I knew what I was getting into." He was quiet a moment. "I've just never had it shoved in my face. It's not an abstract concept anymore, Eliot. And yes, it scared me. I'm sorry if that bothers you."

Eliot sighed, reminding himself to have patience. It was something he was getting a lot of practice with. There were times that he thought Nathan was still close to running away from what they had here, his fear driving him stronger than Eliot's love could hold him. So at times he found himself still acting like Nate was a skittish filly. This was one of those times.

He took Nathan into his arms, his body resisting at first, and fit Nate's head under his chin. He held him, not saying anything, just comforting until Nate relaxed and was a pliable warmth. After a while he squeezed his lover. "I'm sorry today was so rough on you."

Nathan returned the squeeze and laid a kiss against Eliot's neck, nipping gently at the curve where his neck met his shoulders. "I just want to forget it. Help me forget it, Eliot."

Eliot looked down into Nathan's face and lowered his lips to meet the other man's. The kiss was gentle, tongue licking and exploring the soft skin of Nathan's mouth. When he pulled back he caught Nathan's bottom lip with his mouth and sucked, licking at it. He pushed Nate further down into the bed and covered his body with his own.

* * *

It was one of those rare times when he was actually asleep; Nathan curled up in his arms, their legs intertwined. But no matter how comfortable he was, sound would wake him. His brain never completely shut down to leave him helpless; hypervigilance was a byproduct of the life he lived. So when he heard the soft sounds of someone moving around downstairs his eyes opened wide and he held his breath, instantly alert, muscles tightening in his arms and back.

There it was again, the soft rustle of someone trying to move around quietly. Eliot slid out from underneath Nathan's arm and pulled on a pair of boxers and some sweats. With a last look back at Nathan to make sure that he was still sleeping, Eliot left the bedroom and made his way to the top of the stairs.

He paused there to listen some more and scowled when he heard a crunch. What the hell? He heard the clink of glass as he started down the stairs, careful to place his bare feet just so.

In the light coming through the windows he could make out a slim figure standing at the kitchen counter. He came further down, careful about his weight distribution, not wanting the stairs to creak. He made it to the bottom without the figure turning around and seeing him. He paused at the bottom, raking the hair out of his face and looking around for more intruders. It wasn't until he was almost right on top of her that he recognized the figure.

"You've got to be kidding me! Parker, what the hell are you doing here?" He flipped on the light and blinked in the sudden brightness.

Parker raised her eyebrows at Eliot's naked chest and crunched on another spoonful of cereal, clearly aware he'd been coming down the stairs the whole time. "I was hungry and I wanted cereal."

Eliot winced as she spoke around a mouthful of half chewed grain and milk. He glared, voice dropping several octaves. "You broke in here to steal cereal?"

Parker frowned, confusion making her brows furrow over her eyes. "I didn't break in. And it's not stealing. These are our offices. I was hungry so I came for cereal."

"You came for cereal. What, you don't keep cereal at your place?" Eliot shook his head and waved away her answer. He rubbed at his forehead before putting his hands on his hips. "This is also somebody's house, Parker. You can't just come in whenever you feel like it."

"Eliot? What's going on?"

Eliot sighed and looked toward the stairs. "Nothing, Nate. Go back to bed. I'll be up in a minute."

When he brought his attention back to Parker she had her bowl in the sink and was smirking at him. "Did I interrupt you two?"

"Yeah, sleeping. Now get out of here."

Parker grinned at the flush crawling over his cheeks and stepped around the island. "Which one of you is the girl?"

Eliot took a step back. "What? Neither of us, we're both men."

"I mean . . ."

Eliot grabbed her by the arm and started ushering her to the door. "I don't care what you meant. Good night, Parker."

Parker tried to drag her feet. "But I didn't come in this way."

Eliot opened the door and escorted her through. "I don't care. It's the way you're leaving."

Parker stood on the other side of the door, looking a little hurt. Eliot sighed and hung his head a moment. "Parker, don't worry about it. We'll see you tomorrow."

Parker nodded and started down the hallway. Eliot closed the door and checked the lock and the security alarm. He was starting to think 'wrong' was too mild of a description for her.

Back upstairs he found Nate waiting in bed for him, sitting up and frowning. Eliot stripped off his pants and sighed as he slid between the sheets and took the other man in his arms.

"What was all that?"

He helped Nate get situated back down, molding his body around him. "Parker decided she wanted some cereal so she thought she'd come by and help herself to some of ours."

Nate pulled out of Eliot's arms and looked at the other man. "What?"

Eliot couldn't help but smirk. "She figured since this was also the office it was okay. I think you're going to have to lay down a few ground rules, establish some boundaries."

Nathan ran a hand down his face. "Yeah, no kidding." He yawned, jaw cracking, before sighing and pressing himself back against the other man. "But tomorrow, it's two in the morning."

Eliot nodded and settled back down into bed with Nathan. He wouldn't go back to sleep now, but it was nice to just lie here and hold his lover. He could feel Nathan's warm breath ghost over his neck, the hair on his thigh where it was tucked between his own. Eliot could feel himself start to stir to life and he buried his nose into Nathan's neck. He smelled so good.

Without the patina of whiskey masking his scent, Eliot had discovered that Nathan smelled of apples and musk. It was one of the most erotic scents he'd ever smelled, rich and deep. He took a deep breath through his nose and closed his eyes.

He tried to relax into Nathan's warmth, but his mind kept going over everything he wanted to do with the new space. He knew exactly where he was going to place everything. He even knew a place that he could get all the stuff they'd need. "I'm going to turn that extra space off the living room into a gym. I want to train the others in some basic hand to hand."

Nathan grunted, but didn't offer any other comment.

Eliot rubbed a hand up and down Nathan's back. "I want you to train with me as well."

That got Nathan's attention. He picked up his head and frowned. "What? Why?"

Eliot looked into the sleep addled face of the man beside him and couldn't help the small smile that stole over his lips. Nate did not do well if his sleep was interrupted. "I want you to be able to protect yourself. I want to know that I'm not all that's standing between you and a solid ass whooping."

Nathan snorted and buried his head in the pillow.

Eliot sat there a while longer before sighing and giving up in defeat. "I want to get started on the gym. You need me for anything?"

Nate groaned, his voice muffled by the pillows. "No. Go away and let me get some sleep."

Eliot chuckled and smacked Nathan's ass as he climbed out of the bed. "Sleep tight."

Nathan flipped him off and then buried himself in both pillows, stretching out over Eliot's side of the bed.

* * *

It was still early in the morning when Nathan was pulled from the bed by the smell of brewing coffee. Eliot heard him on the metal stairs and couldn't help but grin at him as he padded down in his bare feet. Nathan was squinting in the bright morning light, stubble covering his cheeks and chin, and his dark curls were sticking up in all directions from a serious case of bed head. When the look wasn't caused by the overindulgence of alcohol it was actually quite adorable.

Nathan stopped at the bottom of the stairs and cocked his head, scowling at Eliot's cheerful mood. "What are you grinning at?"

Eliot smirked and turned around to grab a cup and pour some coffee. He'd found only one way to cure Nathan of his usually sour morning mood. Unfortunately, this morning he'd been too occupied to greet him when he woke. When he turned back around Nathan was sitting at the counter and Eliot placed the cup in front of him.

Nathan scowled and rubbed at his face, wincing in the sunlight. "Whoever decided the sun should come up so damn early ought to be shot."

Eliot placed his hands on the counter and studied him a moment. "I didn't really think it possible, but you're actually grumpier than usual this morning."

Nate eyed him as he picked up the cup of coffee and took a sip of the hot liquid. "Yeah, well, it's not like I got a good night's sleep or anything."

Eliot pulled a stool around the counter so he could sit facing Nathan, watching as he rubbed at his head and tried to wake up a little more. "Did you have problems going back to sleep after I got up?"

"Well, I wouldn't have, but someone was making an awful lot of noise down here." He threw a piercing look at Eliot. "What the hell were you doing down here at three in the morning?"

Eliot leaned across the bar to give Nate a kiss as he stood from the stool. Then, turning back to the kitchen, he started gathering stuff to make some breakfast. "Sorry. I wanted to get the gym set up. I've missed having a place at home to work out. And I want to get started on training you guys as soon as possible."

Nathan set his cup down. "You're serious?"

Eliot looked away from chopping green onion for an omelet and smiled. "Yeah, I'm serious. Not only will you be better prepared, but it'll be good for you. Help get you in shape." Eliot grinned at the incredulous look that spread over Nathan's face.

When Nathan saw the delight that Eliot was getting out of his reaction Nathan narrowed his eyes and frowned. "You saying I'm fat?"

Eliot snorted and turned back to the chopping board. "No. I'm saying it'll be good to be a little more physically active." He glanced over at Nathan, turning serious. "You haven't been the kindest to your body, Nate, and let's face it, you aren't getting any younger. You need to start taking better care of yourself."

Nathan set his coffee cup down on the countertop and stared at Eliot, a crease appearing between his brows. "So, I'm not fat. I'm old. Is that it?"

Eliot shook his head and rolled his eyes. "You know what I meant. Stop being difficult."

Nathan grinned the first time that morning and Eliot counted it a small win. Anytime he could get Nate to loosen up a little, get out of his head, was a good thing. The easy banter between them was more common now that Nathan wasn't drinking. Eliot didn't know if Nathan would ever be the man he'd once been. He highly doubted it. But there was something of the man he'd met all those years ago. It was nice to see him smile every once in a while, to see him joke around a little.

Silence fell over the apartment except for the sound of the food cooking on the stove and Eliot's prattling around the kitchen. Eliot couldn't help but smile a little. The very thought that Nathan might actually be worried about his body was ridiculous. You couldn't see it now because of the baggy clothes he was wearing, but Nate actually had a great body. It was different from his own, much more streamlined. Where he was all hard muscle and bulk, Nathan was all wiry sinew. Nathan's was a swimmer's body, lean, and built for speed. The weight he'd gained since quitting drinking was healthy weight and only served to make him more attractive. It filled in his face and stomach so he didn't look quite so much like a famine victim.

Eliot set a plate with an omelet and a piece of toast down in front of Nathan and eyed the black tee and grey sweats his lover had on. "You eat that. I'm going to go upstairs and change, and then I want to show you something." He took off up the stairs before Nathan could object.

He came back down just as Nathan was finishing up the last of his omelet and toast. Eliot couldn't help the little thrill he felt as he watched Nathan eat. It'd been a fight for so long to get him to eat anything. Now it was a pleasure to cook for him and see that Nathan enjoyed his food.

Once the breakfast dishes were in the sink he took Nathan into the newly renovated area.

Nathan looked around, blinking in surprise. The décor that had been in place last night was gone. The hard wood floors were cleaned and blue matting was laid down over a good portion of it. A heavy bag hung in one corner from an exposed rafter. That would explain the noise of machine tools he'd heard this morning. "How'd you get all this done in one morning?"

Eliot surveyed the area. There was a lot still to be done, but he had a basic training area fixed up and was really liking the way it was shaping up. He wanted to get some more equipment, some padding for training, and a couple of training dummies. "It's not finished yet, but it should be good enough to get a start on working with you guys."

Nathan looked at Eliot, at the gleam in his eyes, and started to back away. "It looks good. I'm sure the team will appreciate it."

Eliot stepped forward, confused. "Where are you going? I'm not done yet."

Nathan held up a hand and started for the door. "Yeah, you're not supposed to work out right after you eat. I'm going to go see what kind of damage Hardison's done to the wiring in here."

Eliot snorted and came forward, grabbing Nathan by the arm and bringing him back into the room. "That's swimming, Nate. Come on, I want to show you some things."

Nathan was still looking somewhat dubious. "I'm not letting you beat the shit out of me, Eliot."

Eliot rolled his eyes and dropped Nathan's arm, turning to face him. "Have I ever hurt you?"

Nathan eyed him, still wary. "Not yet."

Eliot tried not to mind what was implied. On one level, Nathan knew Eliot wouldn't hurt him, but his brain didn't always listen to it. It was a slow process, but Nathan was slowly learning to trust him. It was just taking some time. "Okay, I'm going to show you some basic moves, called katas, and then some holds. Don't worry, we're going to take it nice and slow."

He stepped behind Nathan, going slow and easy as Nathan tensed up. Eliot put his hands on Nathan's hips and helped him position his feet, had him bend his knees a little. He made sure that Nathan kept his back straight and aligned and then came around to stand in front of him.

They started slow, but Nathan surprised him by how easily he picked it up. They moved through the basic motions, Eliot throwing slow hits and instructing Nathan how to block. They'd been going at it for almost thirty minutes when Eliot stepped back a moment and eyed Nathan. "You've done some fighting before."

Nathan stood, hands on his hips, a little more out of breath and a lot sweatier than Eliot. "Yeah, well, nothing formal." At Eliot's raised brow he blew out a breath. "Come on, I grew up in the streets of Boston. You think I never had to defend myself from anyone?"

Eliot nodded, smiling. He could imagine Nate as a young boy. He'd bet a thousand he'd been a hand full. "Point taken. Let's move on to something else."

Eliot started to show Nathan a few basic holds and some grappling techniques. He had Nathan down on his back and was showing him how to wrap his legs around his neck in a choke hold.

"Okay, now, I want you to lock this leg around this one, yeah, use the knee like that. Careful, not too much pressure or you'll end up putting me out."

Eliot's cheek was warm pressed against his thigh. The workout had Eliot pleasantly flushed, a fine sheen on his skin. His hair was coming loose from the hair band and Nathan felt his groin stir. He widened his legs so Eliot ended up closer and shifted his hips, brushing against Eliot's cheek with his burgeoning erection.

Eliot paused as he felt Nathan shift under him again. The unexpected movement caused him to slide forward and he felt his lover, hard and warm through his sweat pants. Eliot felt warmth pool into his own stomach and groin, a smile growing across his face. "Something about this you like?"

Nate shifted again, lowering his legs to wrap lower around Eliot's torso, trying to pull him up his body. "I missed you this morning."

"Yeah?" Eliot was quiet a moment, libido battling with his desire to finish the workout. Usually, he didn't mix pleasure with business. And this was work, this was important. But they'd been going at it over thirty minutes now and he could tell Nathan was tiring. So he relaxed a little and moved up Nathan's body, pressing his own erection down on Nathan's. "You sure you're not just trying to distract me?"

He watched as Nathan let loose a cocky grin. "Is it working?"

Eliot smiled before he grabbed Nathan and flipped his lover onto his stomach, pinning him with his body, and grinding his hips into Nate's ass. "Well, I hadn't planned on this," He paused and bit down on the back of Nathan's neck, licking at his salty skin. He pressed his lips into the sensitive skin behind Nate's ear. "But there are cardiovascular benefits to this as well."

Nathan tried to squirm out from under Eliot, trying to get the upper hand, but all the shifting did was grind his cock into the mat below him, and his ass against Eliot's erection. He stopped, panting. "Eliot . . ." He had to break off because Eliot chose that minute to reach his hand into his pants and squeeze his ass. Nathan dug his fingers into the mat and bucked up against the hard shaft running along the line of his ass.

Eliot felt his groin throb as Nathan squirmed and groaned beneath him. Maybe Nate would be more motivated if there was a reward after each workout session. He backed off just enough to turn Nathan over, and then descended on his lips, eating hungrily at his mouth. Nathan wrapped his legs around Eliot's hips and Eliot ground down, rubbing their cocks together. He lowered himself so he could bite at Nathan's neck. When he came away Nathan's pupils were blown and his neck marked.

He ran his fingers under the band of Nathan's sweatpants, fingers brushing against the trail of hair that ran from his stomach to his groin before he yanked the pants down, freeing Nathan from the cotton material. Eliot paused a moment, to savor the sight of Nathan bared before him, heavy and full. Nathan's chest was still heaving, his eyes glazed. A drop of precum beaded at the head and Eliot went down, tongue starting at the base, working his way up to swirl around the tip. He caught the salty fluid on his tongue and closed his eyes before closing his mouth over Nathan and sucking.

"Fuck, Eliot!" His voice was hoarse, breathy. Nathan dug his heels into the mat and thrust upwards.

Eliot grasped Nate's hips and sucked up his shaft before letting loose to lick up Nathan's stomach. The heat across Nathan's cheeks was for an entirely different reason now. He looked so beautiful lying there, sweaty and flushed. Eliot was going to take his time, make Nate squirm and beg. He was going to make Nate scream his name.

"Hey guys, I got that . . ." There was a beat of silence. "Oh, hell no! I'll be back later."

Eliot looked up in time to see Hardison's back retreating from the gym area. "Hardison!"

They heard a door a slam and then quiet descended on the apartment. Eliot let his head fall to Nathan's chest, breath still coming hard, but the mood was gone. Eliot may have been willing to try a lot of things when it came to sex, but exhibitionism just wasn't something he could get into.

He groaned as he rolled off of Nathan. "I'm gonna kill him."

Nathan was still panting, taking huge gulps of breath, but he managed to get a few words out. "No, not yet. We still need his technical skills." He paused, trying to regain his breath. "Maybe put a bell on him though."

Eliot sat up and helped Nathan up and back into his pants. "Seriously, we've got to have that talk about boundaries."

Nathan nodded and coughed, clearing his throat. "We're lucky that wasn't Sophie."

Eliot snorted and nodded his head. "Now that would've been bad."

Nathan paled a little, his erection softening to become flaccid. "You know, first thing I thought when I realized it had been her that had pulled the trigger? The first thing through my head? It wasn't that it was part of the con. The first thing I thought was that she'd found out."

Eliot was quiet a moment, letting Nathan work through his remaining fear. He could be there to support him, but this was something Nate was going to have to come to terms with. "Speaking of which, did she tell you about her boyfriend?"

Nathan nodded. "Yeah, you were right. I invited her out to dinner and she backed off." He threw a look at Eliot. "How come you knew about that before me?"

"Parker told me. Sophie was worried you'd be upset." Eliot watched as Nathan shook his head. "You know, now that the team's been apart for a while, and she has a boyfriend, this would be a good time to tell her."

Nathan was quiet so he continued. "She already found our toys." He couldn't help but grin. "I think she was a little shocked. I wonder what it was that got her."

Nathan was silent for a moment more before shaking his head. "No. It's too soon. Remember, we're supposed to have been apart all this time. If we have a relationship out of nowhere it'll look suspicious. We'll have to take it slow."

Eliot narrowed his eyes. Nathan had been resistant to telling Sophie for obvious reasons in the past. But now it seemed like he was stalling more than anything. "You sure that's all it is, Nate? I know you guys were close once. Are you sure you don't still have feelings for her?"

Nathan frowned. "What? No. I told you, I can't give her what she wants."

Eliot felt his eyebrows climb toward his hairline. "But you can give it to me?"

Nathan glared and pushed himself up off the floor. "It's not the same, Eliot. You're not . . ." He waved his hands, dismissing the conversation and then started out of the room. "I'm going to go take a shower."

Eliot watched him walk away and felt something stirring in his gut. When he realized what it was he shoved the feeling back down and put a lid on it. He wasn't going to be jealous of Sophie. Nathan had a hard enough time accepting Eliot inside his boundaries. Having Sophie inside as well would be too much.

Eliot stood and started upstairs to wait for the shower, telling himself he had nothing to worry about.

* * *

Hardison, sitting in the armchair, kept his eyes on the floor, not looking at either Eliot or Nate. Eliot sat in the other arm chair, glaring at Hardison while Parker and Sophie sat on the couch.

Sophie watched as Nathan came over and sat a stool down in front of the monitors before picking up his cup of coffee from the table and taking a seat. "What's going on, Nate? Have we got another job already?"

Nate looked around the group as he took a sip. "No. Not yet. I called this meeting to lay down a few rules." He watched as Hardison sank down further into his cushions and Parker nodded and watched on in wide eyed innocence.

"I realize that at the offices you guys could come and go as you wanted. It's become clear though, that I need to state the obvious. After Hardison barging in unannounced and Parker breaking in to steal cereal . . ."

"You broke in to steal cereal?"

Parker turned to the grifter. "No. I wasn't stealing and I didn't mean to break in. But after talking to Eliot . . ." She trailed off, eyes going wide at the look both Eliot and Nate were giving her. ". . . later this morning . . . when I was telling him about it," She took a deep breath. "I understand why . . . Nate . . . was so upset."

Eliot huffed and Nate tried not to look as exasperated as he felt. He really needed to get Parker to work on her acting ability.

Sophie cocked her head, looking at the thief. "Huh."

Nathan waved his hand, as if to erase the last couple of minutes. "As I was saying, you can't just come in here. I live here, this is my home." He looked around at each and every one of them. "Now, I don't mind if you hang out here at times," He held up his hand. "But please respect my privacy and don't drop in unannounced." He paused and looked at Parker. "Parker, that means no coming over for cereal at two in the morning."

She nodded, arms resting on her crossed legs. "Got it. I think you're out of cereal anyway."

Nate sighed and took another sip of his coffee. "Other than that, clean up after yourselves." He started to stand and realized that everyone was still looking at him. "That's it. Go, do whatever."

Hardison was up, out of the chair, and to the door.

Eliot jumped up taking off after him. "Hardison!"

Nate watched, a small bemused smile on his face as Eliot trotted across the living room after the hacker. He'd have to make sure that Eliot didn't hurt Hardison, but he wasn't averse to scaring him.

Parker climbed over the back of the couch and headed toward the kitchen, opening the cabinets.

Sophie approached Nate, hands on the small of her back as she watched Parker find a box of crackers to munch on. She turned back to the man on the stool and smiled softly. "Maybe you should've included not raiding the pantry on your list of rules."

Nathan snorted and shook his head. "I think most of it is orange soda and gummy frogs now anyway."

Sophie was quiet, hand going up to wrap around the back of her neck as she bit her lip. "Listen, Nate, about last night . . ."

Nathan smiled and stood. "It's okay, Sophie. Really. Don't worry about it."

She watched as he walked toward the door where Hardison and Eliot had disappeared, frown on her face.

*The End*


End file.
